Compartment-car.



F.E.STEBB1NS.

COMPARTIVIENT CAR.

APPLICATION man sEPT.22.1913.

Patented July 3, 1917.

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COMPARTMENT CAR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.22, I9I3.

Patented July 3, 1917.

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Wffnasses F. E. STEBBINS. CQMPARTMENT CAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTJZ, i913- Patented July 3, 1917. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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COMPARTNIENT CAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPLZZ. 1913.

Patented July 3, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4I FRANK E. STEBBINS, OF WASHINGTON, VIl)IlS'JI'R'lIC'l OF COLUMBIA.

COMPARTMENT-CAR.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten any 3,1917.

Continuation in part of appli-cation Serial No. 712,047, filed July 29, 1912.' Renewed November 25, 1916,

Serial No. 133,486.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK E. STEBBINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Compartment-Cars, of which the following is a specifi-cation.

The object of the invention is the production of a compartment sleeping car wherein the available interior space shall be utilized more effectively than heretofore in forming the greatest number of separate compartments possible when each of said compartments is provided with suitable toilet appliances and movable upholsterings adapting thesame for day and night use, the present application being genericallya continuation of my application filed July 29, 1912, No.l

Owing to the size of cuts in the permanent way, the size of tunnels and bridges, and the gage and distance apart of the tracks, all of which are fixed, limitations are imposed upon the car designer which' he cannot escape. Passenger car bodies should not exceed nine feet in interior width 'and approximately seventy-two feet in length exclusive of the platforms. The problem then is to .make what space there is in the car available' for the greatest number of passengers with the necessary comforts, such as privacy, easy seats which can be transformed space for nndressing and dressing, and especially ample toilet appliances so located as not to be objectionable and which shall not occupy too much floor area or excessively encroach upon the space allotted to passengers.

As is well known, sleeping cars heretofore designed have been lacking in some of these v,

cross partitions some of which latter are 1 disposed substantially at right anglesto the car wall andthe longitudinal partitlon, and

This application led September 2 2, 1913.

into suitable beds, unobstructed Serial No. 791,137.

others ofirregular shape extending from the car wall to the longitudinal partition, or straight and lobliquely disposed to the wall and the longitudinal partition, so as to form a longitudinal passageway and also a series of compartments between theV pas- .sageway and wall, each compartment provided withy an alcove space, some alcove spaces being adjacent to the wall and others adjacent to thelongitudinal partition, locating toilet appliances within each alcove and providing proper seat and back upholsterlngs in each compartment which can be transformed into upper and lower berths for sleeping purposes by night.

It further consists in a car constructed generally as` above specified and wherein movable means are provided, such as doors or screens, for closing or isolating the 'al-cove spaces containing the toilet appliances from the remaining areas of the compartments.

It further consists in certain novelties of constructionand combinations of parts as herein set forth and claimed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two main embodiments of the invention, one in which each alcove space Containingrthe toilet appliances can be isolated from the remaining area of the compartment, the other in which the alcove spaces are not iso lated, and also several modifications, all constructed and arranged according to the best modes of procedure I have so far devised for the purpose.

Figure l is a sectional plan view of the two halves of a car embodying the invention with the alcove spaces of the compartments isolated, the horizontal section being taken through the car walls and the vertical partitions above theseat backs.

Fig. 2 is a section in elevation taken on line -m of IF ig. l looking in the direction ofthe arrow, the movable partition or door or doors andcasing by which the alcoveis isolated `from the remaining part of the compartment being removed to show the interior of the alcove space.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the two halves of'a carin which the alcove spaces of the compartments are not isolated, the horizontal section being taken through the car walls and vertical partitions above the seat backs. Y

Fig. 4 is a section 1n elevation of Fig. 3 taken on line g/-y looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figs. 5, 6,7, 8, and 9 show in horizontal section different modified shapes of partitions which separate compartments so as to form an alcove space in each compartment, the locations of the toilet appliances being indicated by plan views in the several alcoves.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged section in elevation of Fig. 1 taken on line z-z.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged cross section of Fig. 1 taken on line w-w looking in the direc-` tion of the arrow.

Fig. 12 is a view in perspective of one of the two movable supports for the lower part of the back upholstering when adapted for day use.

Referring to the figures of the two main examples, the numeral 1 designates the floor of the car; 2, the side Walls; 3, the `raised deck; and 4, the end walls. The frame of the car may be of any desirable construction as relates to the material (either metal or wood or both), the shape of the roof, and thelocations of doors. The spacings of the windows are determined by the relative locations of the compartments. At the ends of the cars are doors 5, and in Fig. 3 toilet rooms 6 eachl at the corner of the car adjacent to a door.

The interior space of each car is divided into a series of compartments A and a longitudinal passageway B adjacent to one of 'the side walls, but halves of the passageway may be located at opposite walls and cross at the middle of the car, the compartments then being located between the passageway and the opposite car wall.

The llongitudinal vertical partition 7 defines and bounds the ends of all the compartments A and supports doors 8 which shut off the compartments from the passageway, one door being provided for each'compartment. Sliding panels 9 in partition 7 one at the end of each seat also may be provided to allow passengers to look through thewindows next to the passageway. The seat cushions 24 and back upholsterings 35 are substantially like those described in my pending application filed July 29, 1912, No. 712,047. vThey are movable to form lower and upper berths by night within the -compartments.

Two types of vertical partitions extend from the side wall of the car crosswise thereof to the longitudinal partition 7 for forming the series of compartments A with alcove spaces. Partitions 10 are located at right angles to the wall and floor of the car and extend from the wall to the longitudinal partition 7 and from the fioor to the arch rails which connect the deck sills,

the spaces above the 'rails being closed by panels which extend to the roof.

To provide an alcove space C as a part of each compartment another type of partition is used and preferably of an irregular shape, parts thereof lying in planes angularly disposed lto each other or one another, as shown by Figs. l, 5 andv8. It may, however, be in a vertical plane and oblique to the car wall and longitudinal partition 7, but preferably comprised of straight and curved surfaces as shown in Figs. 3, 6, 7 and 9.

In Figs. 1 and 2 where the alcove spaces are each to be of -sufficient area to receive a wash basin, as 45, a hopper, 46, and an openable cabinet, 47, and each alcove to be isolated from the remainder of a compartment by a door or screen, the partition comprises part 48 extending from the wall inwardly half the length of a compartment, the part 49 located preferably at right angles to the part 48 -though it may be on a curved line, and a part 50 extending from part 49 to the longitudinal partition 7, substantially as shown. The means for isolatingI an alcove C from the remainder of the compartment may consist of a movable partition or screen of any suitable kind, such as a vsingle door 51` or/a double door 52 matching fixed side casings or filling strips, as indicated. 1

InFigs. 3 and/4 where the alcove spaces C are not isolated but each of sufficient area to receive a folding wash basin 53, a lower openable cabinet 54, and an upper openable cabinet 55 fixed at the car wall and another at the longitudinal partition 7, the irregular shaped partitions 56 are each straight and out of line at the ends thereof adjacent the wall and partition 7 and curved at the centrai portion, that is, the ends of the partition are out of line and oblique or curved at the central portion so as to make a compartment wider at one end than at the other and provide an alcove space to receive the toilet appliances in front of and sufficiently remote fromeach seat at the wider end and at oppositey sides of the partition. Thus two cabinets with folding wash basins are provided in the remote corners of the compartments and at opposite sides of the irregular shaped partition. Modifications of the irregular shaped partitions are shown by Figsg to 9, inclusive. In Figs. 5 to 8 the alcove spaces C are provided with folding wash basins and cabinets 57 at opposite sides of the irregularlyi shaped partition 56. In Fig. 9 the alcove spaces C are wider, the partition 56 reversely curved and basins and hoppers 58 located in the alcoves.

In Figs. 3 and 5 to 9 the dotted lines each side of an irregularly shaped partition indicatel the widthsl of the arch rails which 3 have folding wash basins ldisposed as shown in spaces offset from the compart- -ment areas. l Obvlously when the alcove spaces are rela-l tivelyof small area to receive (only a folding wash basinand openable cabinet m.

each, vthe latter of 'suiiiclent size to inclose a 4chambre de nuit, toilet room 6 must be 3, are transformable into upper and lower berths for night use. Fig.` 1.1 and the left part of FigflO show what 1s clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3,. the cushions and 1 back upholsterings arranged for day use.

lThe seat cushions 24 and theback upholsterings are of'fa length equal to the length of a compartment, The seat cushion is about 20 lin width. The rails 25 are secured' to thecar wall and to partition 7L The front rail 26 has a recess or recesses 27 therein; 28 is a cleat secured to the front.

under surface of the seat or seat cushion to raise the front edge approximately.` 2 p29, a pin or pins projecting from a cleat and adapted to enter a recess 27 in a front rail; 30, the lower-back upholstering about 12 in width; 31., 4two removable supports for the lower back upholstering,'to hold it in an inclined position, one support being located at the wall and one at the longitudinal position. 32, a notch in each support of a shape to hold the lower back upholstering in a proper position to sustain the lumbar region of the seat occupants back; 33, an extensionof the support adapted to entera slot 34 in connection with an 'end' rail and maintain the support in` place, one support being located at each end; UB, the upper back upholstering about v32"v in width and of the -same length as a compartment; 36, slotted plates, one secured to the wall and the other secured' to the partition 7 and at the same l height as the-'other plate; 37, journals secured to the end pieces 38 of the frame supporting the upper-back upholstering, said journals having their free ends movably located within ythe slots of the two plates 136; 39,. fulcrum bars at the opposite ends of the upper back upholstering, the upper end of each bar being pivoted by a journal 40 to an end piece 38, and the lower ends of the two bars pivoted by journals 41 to the side wall and to the longitudinalpartitionV 7 bounding the passageway; 42, cords or 'similar means for suppo ing the upper back upholstering in a horizontal position, said cords engaging hooks at the wall and partition; and 43 designates such hooks for receiving rings or hooks at the ends of the supporting means. The attachments for supporting the upper back upholstering and upholstering as arranged to form a theoretically, perfect seat by day.

To transform'the upholsterings into upper and lower berths, the front edge of theseat or seat cushion is raised and the entire cushion pulled forwardly and dropped to a horizontal position upon the rails; the

flower back upholstering is then turned over on the cushion, the supports 31, 31 removed and -the upholstering turned backwardly to a horizontal position at the rear of the seat or seat cushion, thus forming a lower berth foundation made up of thecushion and the lower back upholstering. Journals may be located at the vrear corners of the cushion or other analogous means be used. which will limit the outward movement of the cushion. By widening the lower back upholstering a lower berth of 3 feet or more in width can be formed.

The upper back upholstering is finally swung upwardly upon Vthe fulcrum bars while the journals travel downwardly within the slotted plates, bringing.. the upper berth to a distance of approximately 35 from the lower berth, where it is easily acin some cases be omitted and analogous means be employed for raising the outer edge o'f the seat or seat cushion by day and for supporting the lower part of the back upholstering in an inclined position.

Cars constructed as herein describedhave the interior space utilized more effectively in providing the necessary comforts for a relatively large number of passengers than is the case with -cars heretofore designed,

as will be recognized by those skilled 'in the' art.

The design shown by Figs. 1 and 2 represents a compartment car seventy-two feet in length having ten alcove compartments, each with means for isolating the alcove containing a wash basin and hopper from the remaining area of the compartmenty which latter is wide enoughjto vaccommodate a lower double berth forty-ve or more inches Y inwidth formed of the cushion and part of the back upholstering, and an upper berth 'thirty-two or more' inches wide formed pf the upper part of the back u holstering,l

suflicient additional unobstructe area being available in front of the berths for undressing and dressing.

The design shown by Figs. 3 and 4 represents a car of like length with twelve inclosed compartments, each with an alcove space large enough to receive a folding wash basin and an openable cabinet beneath and without objectionably encroaching upon the space in front of the seat. It will be observed that the effective utilization of the entire interior space of the cars as illustrated is attained by making one end of each compartment wider than the other end to provide the alcove space at the wider end, and that the wider ends and alcove spaces of part of the compartments are located adjacent to the wall of the car,

and the wider ends and alcove spaces of other compartments are located adjacent to the partition 7 irregular shape,'so each of a plurality of' said compartments will be wider at one end than at the otherend and some of the Wider ends be located adjacent to the longitudinal partition; doors in the longitudinal parti' tion; and cross seats and movable back upholstering in the compartments located at the cross partitions at right angles to the passageway and adapted to form lower and upper berths by night.

2. A car having its interior divided by longitudinal and cross partitions to form a side passageway and compartments between a wall of the car and the passageway; some of the cross partitions being substantially at right angles to the passageway and others of irregular shape forming alcove spaces C in a plurality of the compartments, some of said spaces 'being located adjacent the car wall and others adjacent to the longitudinal partition; doors in the longitudinal partition; and cross seats and movable back upholstering in the compartments located at the cross partitions at right angles to the passageway and adapted to form lower and upper berths by night.

8. A car having its interior divided by longitudinal and cross partitions into a side passageway and a series of compartments, some of said cross partitions being at substantially right angles to the wall and longitudinal partition, and others of irregular shapes extending from the wall to said longitudinal partition and forming a plurality of compartments each having one end wider than the other end, the wide ends of alternate compartments being adjacent to the car wall and the wide ends of the other which bounds the passageway; in other words, some of the alcove alternate compartments being adjacent to the longitudinal partition and passageway; doors in the longitudinal partition; and cross seats and movable back upholstering in the compartments located at the cross partitions at right angles to the passageway and adapted to form lower and upper berths by nigh 4. A car having the main interior space divided by a longitudinal partition and cross partitions into a side passageway and a series of compartments; some of the cross partitions being substantially at right angles to the wall and longitudinal partition and others of such shape as to make a plurality of the compartments each wider at one end than at the other end; the wide ends of some of the compartments being at the car wall and the wide ends of others at the longitudinal partition adjacent to the passageway; toilet appliances located within the compartments at their wider ends; doors in the longitudinal partition; and cross seats and movable back upholstering in the cornpartmentslocated at the cross partitions at right angles to the passageway and adapted to form lower and upper berths by night.

5. A car having the main interior space divided by a longitudinal partition and cross partitions into a side passageway and compartments; some of said cross partitions which extend from the car wall to the lon-f gitudinal partition being so shaped that an alcove space is formed in each of adjacent compartments at opposite sides of a partition, one alcove space being located at the Wall and the other at the longitudinal partition; doors in the longitudinal partition; and cross seats in the compartments opposite the alcove spaces. j

6. A car having within its interior a longitudinal partition and cross partitions dividing the main space into a side passage- Way and a series of compartments, some compartments being wider at the end adj acent to the car wall and others wider at the end adjacent to the longitudinal partition to form alcove spaces at the wider ends; doors in the longitudinal partition; and toilet appliances including a wash basin and an openable cabinet located within each alcove space.

7. A car having within its interior a longitudinal partition and cross partitions dividing the main space into a side passageway and a series of compartments, some compartments being wider at the end adj acent to the wall and others wider at the end adjacent to the longitudinal partition to form alcove spaces at the wider ends; doors in the longitudinal partition; cross seats and movable back upholstering in the compartments located at the cross partitions at right angles to the passageway and adapted to form lower and upper berths by night; toilet compartments between the longitudinal partition and the wall; some of the cross partitions being disposed at right angles to the wall with seats and movable backs at opposite sides thereof, and other of the cross partitions of irregular shapesV forming alcove spaces in front of the seats at opposite sides of the irregular shaped partitions and adjacent to the car wall and the longitudinal partition; doors in the longitudinal partition; toilet appliances comprising a hopper and washA basin in each alcove space; and movable means for closing each alcove space from the remainder of a compartment.

9. A car having within its interior longitudinal and cross partitions `forming a side passageway and compartments between a car wall and the passageway; each"of a plurality of said compartments having at one end only an alcove space C with a folding wash basi-n therein; some of said alcove spaces being located at the car wall and others adjacent to the longitudinal partition; doors in the partition; and cross seats in the compartments.

10. A car having within its interior longitudinal and cross partitions forming a side passageway and two compartments A, A; the partition separating the two compartments being comprised of parts at the wall and longitudinal partition located in dierent planes and united by an intermediate part forming in each compartment an alcove space C, one adjacent the wall and.

the other adjacent the longitudinal partition; and a folding wash basin 'and openable cabinet in each alcove space andat opposite sides of the partition separating the compartments.

' 11. A car having within its interiorl longitudinal and cross partitionsl forming a side passageway and two compartments A,

A 5 the partition separating the two compartmentsbeing comprised of partsV at the wall and longitudinal partition located in different planes and united by an intermediate part forming in each compartment an alcove space C, one adjacent the wall and the other adjacent the longitudinal partition; toilet appliances in each alcove space, and j means for closing each 'alcove space from the remainder of the compartment; doors in the longitudinal partition; and A cross seats and movable back upholstering in each compartment adapted to ,form lower and upper berths by night.

12. A car having the main interior space divided by a longitudinal partition andcross partitions into a side passageway and a series of compartments located between the side passageway and the car wall; cross seats and back upholsterings adapted to be transformed into berths located in the compartments and at opposite sides of straight cross partitions, the cross partitions separating adjacent compartments and opposite the cross seats each being of such a shape as to form alcove spaces in the adj acent compartments, one at the wall and the other at the longitudinal partition, and a iXed cabinet located in each alcove adj acent ,the car wall and adjacent the longitudinal partition, said cabinets being provided with toilet appliances.-

13. A car having within its interior a longitudinal partition and cross partitions dividing the main space into a side passageway and a series of compartments, some compartments being wider at the end adjacent to the car wall and others wider at the end adjacent to the longitudinal partition than at their opposite ends to form alcove spaces at the wider ends; toilet appliances located .within each alcove space; and a convertible se'at and berth opposite an alcove space within each compartment. c v

14. A car having within its interior a longitudinal partition and cross partitions dividing the main space into a side passageway and a series of compartments, somev compartments being wider at the end adj acent to the car wall and others wider at the end adjacent tothe longitudinal partition than their opposite ends to form alcove spaces at the. wider ends; toilet appliances within thealcove spaces; a convertible seat and berth opposite an alcove space within each compartment; and arch rails extending from the plate horizontally above alcove spaces to form receptacles for-storage purposes.

.15. A car having within its interior longitudinal and cross partitions forming a side passageway and compartments between a car wall and the passageway, some of the cross partitions being at right angles to the passageway and othersof an irregular shape, so each `of a plurality ofsaid compartments will be wider at one end than at the other, and means for forming an upper berth land va lower berth in eachv compartment adjacent to the cross partitions, at right angles to the passageway.

In testimony whereof I aIiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

A FRANK E. STEBBINS. Witnesses :f j

ALBERT LEO GERSDORFF, RAYMOND F. MARYMAN." 

